In My Daughter's Eyes
by maiko forever
Summary: A songfic about Mai's mother and their relationship with one another. based on a piece of art by Renoa called Fidelity.


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I disclaim any ownership of _Avatar: The Last Airbender. _Special thanks to Renoa (also known as Xielas), whose work of art, labeled _Fidelity, _inspired this song fiction. Enjoy!

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The young woman rocked gently in the chair, back and forth and back and forth. She caressed the red silk laying in her hands. The small robe that was in the woman's grasp was of the finest material (as guaranteed by the tailor), the golden dragon stitched into it gracefully gliding around the hem and up the thigh. She sighed dreamily and patted her swollen belly. "Oh, wouldn't you hurry up, little one?" the girl crooned to her abdomen.

"Yun?" At the sound of her name, the young adult looked up towards the nursery's door. She saw her husband leaning against the frame, staring at her. "Yun, dear, what are you doing?" He entered the room slowly and stood behind his wife's chair, running his hands through her unkempt hair.

"Oh, Fudo," Yun answered, patting his hand lovingly, "Only day dreaming again." She glanced once more at the unborn baby's gown. The young man chuckled and kissed her head. As he left her, he stopped and turned.

"It will be here soon enough, my love," he smiled. "I promise."

"She," the woman corrected Fudo, "You mean _she _will be here soon enough." Yun's husband only smiled and walked out of the room, laughing about something that had to do with "women's intuition." Yun turned back down to her tummy and blew it a kiss. "And I will be here waiting for you, darling."

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In my daughter's eyes I am a hero  
I am strong and wise and I know no fear  
But the truth is plain to see  
She was sent to rescue me  
I see who I want to be  
In my daughter's eyes

The delivery was long and hard, costing Yun a stressed back and Fudo two broken fingers (due to his wife's "grip of death"). But at last, just as the final light signaled sundown, the baby was born: a healthy baby girl.

As the nurses took the baby to wipe off the blood and afterbirth, the two new parents sighed with relief.

"There you go," whispered Fudo as he kissed his wife's cheek. "You did amazing. The baby is beautiful." He used a small towel to wipe the sweat off of Yun's brow and kissed her again.

"I want to see her now," the woman said, after a few calming breaths. The nurse, very old and friendly, gently handed the child to its mother. As Yun gazed down at her newborn daughter, the baby opened her eyes for the first time. A striking gold, the baby's eyes warmed her mother's heart. Yun held her baby gently, and with a kiss, sealed her name. "Mai…" she whispered.

"Mai," the father repeated, turning the name over and over again in his mind and mouth. He smiled. "I love it." The woman looked up at her husband and kissed him, then looked back down at her daughter.

"Thank you, Mai," she whispered.

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In my daughter's eyes  
Everyone is equal  
Darkness turns to light  
And the world is at peace  
This miracle God gave to me  
Gives me strength when I'm weak  
I find reason to believe  
In my daughter's eyes

Yun and Mai walked idly through the gardens surrounding their large estate. The woman kept her head held high and walked with an appealing grace. The child, however, ran in circles around her mother's leg. Her antics made Yun laugh.

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"Oh, Mai," she sighed. Yun bent down to pick up her daughter. Mai giggled in her mother's arms and gave her a hug.

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"Mama?" she said questioningly at her mother.

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"Yes, darling?" Yun responded.

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"What's a war?" Mai asked. The sudden question caught Yun off guard. She set her daughter down suddenly and leaned down to be at eye level with Mai.

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"Why do you ask such a thing, Mai?" her mother said seriously. The five-year-old just shrugged her shoulders and looked away.

"I heard you and Daddy talking about it before. I didn't know what it was." Yun's heart went out for her daughter, but she also felt mild jealousy. Oh, too be young and naive and innocent again. Mai's mother just smiled and picked her up again.

"You mustn't concern yourself with such matters, Mai," she said sweetly. "Now let's go back into the house. I can think of a certain old man who must miss his favorite girls right about now."

"Papa?" Mai said excitedly. Yun nodded and carried her daughter into their kitchen. The servants were busy preparing dinner. Fudo was reading a parchment, but when he noticed his wife and daughter come into the room, he immediately set it down.

After hugging and kissing Mai, he said to her, "Why don't you go and play, pumpkin?" Mai obliged and ran off to her nursery.

"She's getting to be more and more like you every day," Fudo stated, kissing his wife hello.

"I know," Yun said, "And that's what I'm worried about."__

And when she wraps her hand around my finger  
Oh it puts a smile in my heart  
Everything becomes a little clearer  
I realize what life is all about

"Mai," Yun said, knocking on her daughter's door, "Might I come in?"

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"Yes," came the hoarse reply. The older woman entered and sat down on her daughter's bed. She watched Mai sadly as she packed her knives and other various weapons into her knapsack. Then went in her clothes, and then her combs. Soon enough, Mai was done and ready to follow Azula on her journey.

"What did you need, Mother?" Mai said dully. "I'm leaving soon." No words were said from Yun. She only hugged her daughter and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. Tears streamed from Mai's mother's eyes.

"Oh, Mom," Mai said, and hugged her mother back. "I'll miss you, too." A servant suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Yes?" Mai addressed him.

"Azula says to tell you that she is set to depart as soon as possible," the young man said.

"You have my leave to go," Yun said to the man. As he turned and left, she turned to her daughter. "And so do you my love."

"We'll meet again," Mai said as she gently squeezed her mother's hand. "Goodbye, Mama."

"I love you, Mai," Yun said to her daughter just as she was about to exit her room.

"You, too." And with that, Mai was gone. Yun cried the rest of the night for both of her children's absences.

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It's hangin' on when your heart  
Is had enough  
It's givin' more when you feel like givin' up  
I've seen the light  
It's in my daughter's eyes

"Are you ready?" Yun asked. She flipped the golden veil from her daughter's face to look into the matching eyes.

"I suppose," Mai said and she sat down. She nearly shook from nerves. Yun took a seat next to her.

"Zuko's a lucky man," she said as she smoothed her daughter's smooth, jet black hair; it reminded her of her own from way back when. Now Yun's hair was coarse and gray.

"I'm a lucky woman," Mai stated. "I'm marrying my childhood love. I'm marrying the Fire Lord. I'm marrying the most important man in my life." She stopped and chuckled quietly. "Well, other than Daddy." Yun laughed. Suddenly, Mai frowned. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh Agni, I'm getting married."

"You'll do fine," Yun said and kissed Mai's head. "I know it."

"It's time," Fudo, who had just appeared, said from the door. Mai stood, and looked back at her mother. She hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Mama," she said. Mai walked to her father and kissed him. "You too, Daddy. I love you." She gave one last glance to Yun and walked gracefully out.

"She'll be fine," Fudo said as he hugged his wife. When he smiled, his wrinkles were definite, but soft and friendly.

"I know she will," Yun said. Tom-Tom, now a very handsome seven-year-old, ran into the room and into his father's arms.

"The wedding's starting!" he squealed excitedly. Fudo laughed heartedly and carried is son out the door. Turning towards his wife, he cocked his eyebrows.

"Coming, dear?" he said. Yun smiled, wiped away the last of her tears, and walked out the door with her husband and son.

Yun couldn't help but remember her own wedding day. As she thought, she noticed that Mai had grown to look near exactly like she had once appeared. She even saw her own stubborn, quiet, moody but loving, sweet, and caring attitude. It was all in Mai's eyes, which were identical pools of her mother's.__

In my daughter's eyes  
I can see the future  
A reflection of who I am  
And what we'll be  
And though she'll grow and someday leave  
Maybe raise a family  
When I'm gone  
I hope you'll see  
How happy she made me  
For I'll be there  
In my daughter's eyes

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Wow, this was hard to write. While Mai was hard to keep in character towards the end, I think this ended up nicely. Just for the record: Yun is Chinese for "melody" and Fudo is Chinese for "son of fire." The song is "In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride.

If you enjoyed this, review! Thanks for reading!

-Maiko Forever


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